Violin Disaster! - Can it be Fixed? - Part 2

[@BeastOfSoda]

This guy's not a simple luthier, he's a proper wizard.

[@MurrayMcDonald]

I was going to say he needs a proper wizards beard but I'm imagining that falling in the hide glue and varnish.

[@putputlawch6770]

He's the Mr Ollivander of Violins

[@peterbaxter8151]

I found this repair very interesting. I would have assumed the violin was only good for the bin at first sight. Watching the care with which you brought it back is inspiring. Thank you Olaf.

[@shadowblack1987]

$6500 violin so no not the bin... Just a 1k repair.

[@StanIvanov]

@@shadowblack1987 if those are the real numbers, $1k was a bargain for that amount of work

[@lukas3687]

I would go much higher...

[@WEdHarris]

What a beautiful and masterful repair! Very challenging to say the least! So enjoy watching a master luthier at work! Thank You for taking the time in recording this and sharing with us!

[@phillee2814]

I can only believe that the customer is delighted - when you first showed us that poor instrument it looked beyond repair, yet you worked magic on the complete train-wreck that you started out with and to be honest when I saw it I wondered if it would ever be playable again. The result is far more than playable, it is hard to even detect without a very detailed examination. It makes me wish I were at least on the same continent as you so that I could entrust my own violin to your care.

[@leonardomagri4379]

fantastic Olaf! It is always exciting and inspiring too see a master craftsman working!

[@JamesMears76]

Lovely repair, I hope the owner looks after the instrument and doesn't neglect it again.

[@davidlowther8886]

Wow! From part one to now I would have assumed the instrument wasn’t worth repairing.

[@ghlscitel6714]

Incredible - Olaf, Sir, you are a great magician. Ein großer Zauberer.

[@rossthefiddler5890]

Nicely done! The wider end block was certainly a good idea to keep the cost down rather than internal grafting of the ribs. It is such a shame when an instrument can be so neglected but obviously satisfying when a restoration can make it look so good again.

[@SohiTheTinyKittenHuman]

The instrument shows signs of being repaired before I have a feeling something drastic happened that did a lot of damage at once because the older damage she had taken it in to be repaired (not well) poor lady and violin!

[@rossthefiddler5890]

@@SohiTheTinyKittenHuman Previous poor repairs, especially home handyman type can be a restorers bane.

[@kathysviolindiaryadultbegi3378]

You installed the soundpost practically one handed, if I blinked I would have missed it, haha. Truly a gift to have a video to go along with this repair work, thank you.

[@pitabowlterrier1193]

I am not exaggerating when I say this is the fastest I've ever clicked a notification - I've been so excited to see how this turned out! I always love watching your videos. I'm gonna go clean my violin now, haha.

[@lkj974]

A real privilege to see a master at work. Thanks for your effort to share your hard won knowledge and experience.

[@kylestevens5835]

I know filming yourself can be tasking and letting us into your world is not easy I have trouble with that same issue! But I want you to know that you have inspired me to take violin lessons and to one day build my own I’ve already made my own electric guitar not saying the two are alike but I’m a carpenter who loves to build instruments and the violin is the ultimate build! So thank you so much for these videos and god bless you!

[@GaryGP40]

Master Olaf makes an intrument that looks awful as good as new again. He is AMAZING.

[@rickmclaughlin7992]

Olaf, thank you for sharing your talent, I enjoy watching people who have a love and talent of restoring items.

[@LaskMaestro]

We appreciate your work, your dedicated recording of your work and your sharing your work. Thank you!!

[@charleslaine]

This repair has been eminently interesting to watch, and I've never even touched an actual violin in my entire life.

[@phlosen7854]

Customer: "My Instrument fell into a wood chipper" *hands over a bag of wood chips and dust* Olaf: "I am going to heat the Glue then..." You are a true Master. You arbilities cannot be overstated! Grüße aus dem fernen Deutschland :)

[@zapa1pnt]

Olaf, beautiful bit of work. If there is Anything, at all, the customer is not happy with, she has something wrong with her.

[@shadowgolem9158]

You know it has been a tough repair when the "I'm just going to use this special little clamp" count goes over 5 and the clamps get mods and accessories. Amazing to watch.

[@deltafour1212]

What kind of voodoo magick is this?!?

[@elissahunt]

This repair has been utterly fascinating. I never would have imagined anything could have been done for the damage we saw in the first video. Olaf, you are a true master.

[@mellissadalby1402]

You are a miracle worker. I can't believe that is the same violin. Wow!

[@verncommet1798]

Wow your a true artist, not a string instrument player but I can appreciate the master skill required. Give us a little more family history.

[@foxjacket]

Olaf you are the Ling Ling of violin repair ❤️

[@emeritusdavidteo5553]

Awesome transformation! I'd just retired from the construction industry and now have time to watch your work on violins. I'm going to start working with cheap China violins. 🙂

[@xandersoriano201]

Ow Professor Dumbledore, you fix another wonderful instruments. It's fun watching you while i learn from you also how I treat my Violin in hot indoor or outdoor that was super helpful in your past video, I'm not a wizzard in violin repairs soon I'll be :).

[@SRoyce87]

I have so much respect and fascination for what you do Olaf! Love these videos

[@ericksonlk]

Excellent two part video. The bottom violin part looks like new at the end. Very impressive work. I have no idea how you made the new timber in the plate blend in so perfectly.

[@deadmanswife3625]

I think it's just about something regarding the proper amount of moisture for the correct length of time. He has a lot of videos you got to check it out

[@Mike-sq5ud]

These videos are fantastic. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I'd never heard the tip about wetting end grain - will have to try that soon!

[@Aizaresu]

This is incredible! To see such extensive damage to the instrument just disappear in the final product is just mesmerizing, really inspiring work!

[@catblob]

Thank you, Olaf. Really appreciate you sharing your incredible experience and process in your workshop.

[@edmiller4149]

What a fantastic job you did , Olaf. That instrument looks and sounds wonderful ! Very impressive. Thanks for sharing.

[@brendanhansknecht4650]

I'm amazed that with glue and little chunks of wood and a lot of work the sound can be restored. I would have guessed this would not be worth repairing because the sound would be ruined.

[@jamesbarros950]

We really appreciate you letting us learn so much more about the instruments we love. Thank you so much.

[@terryjohinke8065]

Good job Olaf. Reminds me of a guitar luthier, Ted Woodford, of Ontario , Canada, who always goes "the extra mile " and does a good job even if it's not an expensive instrument. This was a real before/ after experience. Thanks. Terry from Adelaide.

[@walruss60]

Incredible, I didn't think it would be possible, it looks almost new. Thanks for sharing.

[@manvsviolin1271]

Wow; really great job. It went from firewood (in Part 1) back to being a beautiful instrument!

[@shayanshahnavaz]

You are a true artist. So sad I can't visit you...

[@midnighttutor]

FYI all those little marks and gouges on the lower left rib are from a chin rest tool that extended too far and dug into the wood

[@nicebluejay]

how much might this sort of extensive repair cost out of curiosity?

[@marcisaacs9407]

Thank you so much for sharing. I love technique and your methods don’t disappoint. So many little things can be applied to other things🙏

[@sarahchakchak8650]

A true master at work I love your videos thank you x

[@ALAPINO]

This was very satisfying to watch, Olaf! Thanks for sharing!

[@toddwalker3104]

any hope for my daughters violin with a broken head piece, literally broken just below the lowest peg.......

[@nickpitt]

Sounds nice and that's really what matters.

[@nickfaiella9164]

Olaf I have a question. What kind of varnish do you use? It dries so quickly.. I use oil varnish made from Amber and linseed oil. It takes several days to dry, making repairs of this type a little more difficult for me

[@lohanette]

That's some amazing work you've done there. Let's hope they take great care of it.

[@ninjacoughdrop]

It takes a lot of patience and determination to be a luthier! If my instrument broke like that, and then was returned looking brand new, I would be on the floor weeping with joy.

[@Creationhorse]

I'm wondering if the wider end block changed the sound?

[@michaelwhisman7623]

I have a walnut block from a WW1 German potato masher that was thrown into a French position at Verdun. It's sooooo cool that I want to use it in a violin repair. I picked it up from the battlefield myself. I found it near the Trench of Bayonets.

[@WeilunP]

Just curious, Olaf, how do you charge fixations like this? I know my local luthier charge by hour (?), so do you have a timer by your side to keep track of the time you spent on this violin?

[@razvanbutiac7684]

Hello Olaf, nice grate restoration. I have a question: the end block seems to look like a piece off sitka or other kind of spruce, right? (refer to the original one ) Isn't this better to be done from poplar wood or willow? It will be nice if you give some insides about wood selection when comes about this kind of job.

[@SillyMakesVids]

Seeing that missing sliver made me wonder... can you repair a crack while preserving its appearance of being unrepaired?

[@DivaDeb1234]

I have a question:. On the top part of my violin by the fingerboard on the left ribs where the left hand goes up into higher positions and touches the violin. I have played with very sweaty hands this summer because it's been so hot in my house and it looks like the wood became damp and has lost all the varnish and has like a gray color... what would you suggest? My violin is 89 yr old German.

[@kokeskokeskokes]

Ok I found another violin for 20 after conversion to practice on. Modern type. I ordered it to master the crack open skill. I was thinking cracking it open, gluing it back on, cracking it open again, gluing it back on, and so forth, until I feel confident enough. It is pretty antique too, we shall see how many tries it lasts. One of the f holes is eroded half the way around.

[@janlesinski4719]

When I looked at that to start with I thought it would be a bin job or make new end walls great skills

[@lainet]

This was amazing... it's so great to watch a master at work!

[@jed1947]

Could the violin have been dropped striking on/near its bottom and the owner didn't tell you or didn't know, e.g., someone else dropped it then hid it inside the case?

[@Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan]

Owner would certainly benefit also from this video, may be difficult and emotionally tough.

[@pixelpotato6489]

You know it’s going to be good if there is a part 2

[@thomasbradley2186]

I very much enjoyed watching you do this. Very excellent work and it is amazing it see something like this get fixed. I feel like you could probably fix a violin in a million pieces

[@milanprihoda]

Wunderbar!

[@davidhuckaby832]

That was outstanding...nicely done. You are truly an artist and a master class master of your trade. I am very impressed. Blue Dave.

[@martinschlegel1823]

So if you run out of video ideas, I’d be quite interested in a cooperative video with some fine arts restoration specialist like the YT channel Baumgartner Restoration, because I always see a lot of similarities (well both restoring a violin and restoring an oil painting treat with restoring am old piece of “Art”) but also some interesting similarities (in restoring a painting you would try to make any retouching etc fully reversible, the violin needs to be as permanently repaired as possible and much more. Just like a discussion of what interesting techniques the other uses and why some things are similar and others different. Obviously a painting doesn’t need to sound good but “just” look good.

[@tomswift6198]

What, no soundpost? Or did I sleep through the part where that gets fitted?

[@BalmungBerserk]

Hi Olaf :) Is it possible to share the price of the reparations?

[@MasterSoki23]

If I had to guess, I would say that the frightening scratches on the bottom there were from improper tightening and removal of the chin rest. Not that they tightened it too much, but that the makeshift tool they may have used was pushed so far through the tightening barrel that it scratched the violin on the other side.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Yes, that often happens... Even the little keys that come with chinrests are oft just a little bit too long

[@MasterSoki23]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker wow I didn't expect any reply on such an old video. Certainly not one so quickly. I have been binge watching your videos recently and I love the way you present your work~

[@logotrikes]

I would've glued a lolly stick in that crack, but then I'm not a luthier....

[@egilboth4871]

i just bought a 1900 cello but i want to open it and varnish the inside a small layer

[@michelevolz7769]

Excellent to watch….beautiful work…

[@logotrikes]

Well, I have to say that's some extraordinary work dude...

[@rickstebbens5135]

Nice work. Could not tell it was unloved. Violins need to be played. I think the worse you can do is not play them.

[@reginabrown3000]

You're an artist, Olaf!

[@robinengland5799]

Wonderful work! Thanks for sharing you knowledge and skill.

[@lukas3687]

Brilliant work Olaf!

[@Guillermo.R.S.]

Absolutely great work. The repair itself is a work of art.

[@SantaWithaViolin]

May I ask how much did it cost to get that kind of repair done?

[@ahh1180]

Olaf, would you mind sharing please what is the estimate cost of this type of repair?

[@lotsabirds]

A brilliant piece of work!

[@franciscoribeiro4064]

Excellent.

[@eriks2962]

So, just to make sure I understood right. You first clean the crack and then you put some wood in it?

[@sunghoyun7970]

This is incredible.

[@debbiemcnutt6281]

You sir, are a master artist.

[@denisemiller2650]

Beautiful ❤

[@JacquesLuu]

i wonder how much does a repair like this cost ?

[@nskimharris]

Soaking the bottom block in what? also , amazing repairs!

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Glue... yes... oops got edited out

[@Weeping-Angel]

Thank you for this video. It was very interesting and amazing. It’s basically like surgery 😄

[@eliezeraquinosilva9887]

amazing congratulacions

[@egilboth4871]

my cello is going to a second life after a dark history

[@SeanAnwalt]

Olaf, the subject of violin repair has me fascinated, and it has brought to mind a question: What properties does the glue itself have in regards to changing the sound of the violin? Is there a special glue you have to use? I imagine regular wood glue would probably not be the best. Do you find the more glue you use the more muffled the sound is? I am currently trying to build a violin from a cheap chinese kit (and have already massacred the poor defenseless thing!) but after seeing your videos I feel like a proper luthier! (Not really, that's an exaggeration..... It is a lot of fun, though!)

[@BigHenFor]

Olaf uses Hide Glue because it's reversible with water, which makes future repairs and restoration easier. As an organic glue, it also moves with the wood in response to changes in humidity and temperature. Furniture and art restoration also use hide glue, because the items are to be treasured and restored over generations, so they owe a duty to the future restorers to make their job easier. It has to be heated in hot water before use in a mini crockpot. Raw hide glue has limited a usage time. Repeated heating and cooling cycles eventually denatures the proteins, and it loses its adhesive qualities. It's open time is short too. Olaf has to work fast when gluing up. You can buy it ready prepared in 100ml bottles, or you can buy the raw hides and prepare it yourself if you're going to be using a lot. (That process is a bit smelly though.)

[@Paul_Lane]

Great work on a hard repair.

[@bremms1]

That was amazing.

[@Amazingverticalgardeningideas]

That was amazing!

[@10data10]

It would be interesting to know how many hours this repair took and the cost. I just had a crack repaired on my old John Juzek student violin that cost $600. It had been mine for many, many years so it was worth it to me (and it sounds better now). But I’d guess a major repair like you did here would be much harder to justify.

[@shipsahoy1793]

I don’t think he could justify the cost of the repairs he did or is doing on that thing.. Most violins in that condition should be thrown away! I think he is doing it just for practice for when the time comes that an instrument that’s worth restoring had met with such a terrible fate. Let’s face it, even a luthier has to keep their chops up! 🥳👍👨🏻

[@radlernkurs8740]

@@shipsahoy1793 I am certain he discussed that with the customer. When she wats it repaired he does it . You are in no position to judge that...

[@shipsahoy1793]

@@radlernkurs8740 Seriously ?My opinions have nothing to do with any businessperson’s relationship with their customer(s). Honestly, you are an insulting ass, but that is correct, if a paying customer wants a repair and negotiates one, it’s not up to any outside parties..

[@razaras1]

Baumgartner Restoration for violins, amazing.

[@JM46jm]

Artist.

[@carolknepp5791]

You are amazing

[@anastasiatircuit6393]

Olaf, would you give us a ballpark on what an instrument like this is worth? You said "not super expensive" but the range of violins is a few hundred to a couple million, and I don't know where that falls!

[@knsubramanian9837]

This violin will be worth about $10K to 15K in an auction!The repairs alone will come to 1200 bucks!

[@robertwaroff4303]

Amazing work!!!